Ahhhh.... lineage is a wonderful thing. Too bad it makes no difference right now...

Why just lineage, why not something after Norway. And Jazzy- what is with the poor cats?

i don't know what you're talking bout

This post makes to much sense to be in this forum, It should and probably will be deleted.

oops

Wow 70% Atheist! That is great. I think that is where I need to move in the near future to get away from ignorance.

I should start getting busy learning Norwegien

Christianity is the predominant religion in NORWAY


32% of Norwegian citizens responded that “they believe there is a God”.

47% answered that “they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force”.

17% answered that “they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodoxy_in_Norway#Religion_in_Norway_today

In 2005, a survey conducted by Gallup International in sixty-five countries indicated that Norway was the ((least religious)) country in Western Europe, with 29% counting themselves as believing in a church or deity, 26% as being atheists, and 45% not being entirely certain, ((which is agnostic))

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[2] 32% of Norwegian citizens responded that "they believe there is a god" - ((doesn't neccessarily mean the Christian faith)), whereas 47% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 17% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Religious statics are extremely misleading.

For one thing, all of the various demnominations of Christianity are all lumped together as being "one" religion. But then all the pantheistic religions are seperated into individual groups thus making them appear to be a bunch of conflicting religions.

Actually if we took all the pantheisic religions and just labeled them as Pantheism, and then separated they myriad of conflicting Christian demoninations into a bunch of seperate religions then Pantheism would dominate the world, even more so than Christianity does it when we take the stats in a way that favior their religion.

One thing I find very strange is that there are a lot of pantheists (i.e. Buddhists, Taoists, American Indians and even pantheistic Wiccans) who would love to celebrate and embrace SPIRITUALITY.

But Christianity (and the other Abrahamic religions) are extremely difficult to emrace because they demand division and seperation!

It's almost impossible to worship side-by-side with a Christian whilst they worship Jesus and the other person worships Wanka Tanka, or the Moon Goddess, or the Tao. Christians become offended by anyone who refuses to recognize Jesus as the one and only God.

So this forces Christianity to become an offensive religion.

It's so sad.

We could all embrace spiritual and worship God together if it weren't for the Christians (and the other Abrahamic religions) who worship a book that says, "Thou shalt not have any other Gods before ME!"

That's the killer. That's the nemesis of Christianity and the Abrahamic. They're entirely based on worshiping books, and the things that the authors of those books say.

So it's truly the Abrahamic religions that force religious division in the world. They even hate each other because they are so divided amongst themselves.

Christianity isn't about brotherly love. It's about brotherly division.

MorningSong always likes to claim that Christianity is about having a relationship with God.

I say, fine! I have a relationship with God through the Mood Goddess!

But then she starts screaming, "NO! NO! NO! You must worship JESUS!"

So she's not supporting relationships with God.

She's just supporting a belief in a particular dogma. PERIOD!

Yes and I hope this dogma will eventually decrease in numbers as the younger generations will embrace spirituality that really offers peaceful coexistence without resorting to a book that says otherwise.

Of course it won't be a peaceful battle. I have the hunch Christians and all of their denominations will do whatever it takes to gain members.

and when I say whatever it takes, then think of the most extreme measures that are possible.

It is scary to tell you the truth

Denominational walls have been coming down for some time now.

This is happening everywhere.

In my area, different denominations hold services in each others churches.

In the baptist church,especially, other non denominations are welcome to meet there..to hold their own meetings.

Now That's the Love of God for you...not just focus on one's own particular denomination!!

At special occasions we all meet together.

And that does not even include nondenominational churches,where people of all denominations meet together....

to just worship God in spirit and truth....all in one acord as it should be.... and not just under the label of some denomination.

God IS moving in the church!!

It's about time Christians started getting along with each other.

What took them so long?

From what I've heard they have recognized that they are losing members and that if they don't join forces they will become extinct as a religion. So this is more of an act of desperation.

I heard that even the Pope has suggested that Christianity and Islam need to put aside their differences in order to combat the overwhelming rise in secularism specifically in the United States.

It's funny how people come together when they feel their back is against the wall. If they can make allies to battle what they see as a 'common enemy' they can get along.

But what would then happen after the war? If they succeeded in defeating secularism, then they'd just go right back to turning on each other once again.

I've always said that if Christianity ever became the single world religion that would just be the start of the real holy wars. They would quickly turn on each other. Especially if Protestants are involved in the mix because that's what Protestants do, they Protest.



That would be beautiful MorningSong. But many people would not want to do this in churches.

The idea of building a church from hewn stone and having steps leading up to it's alter is a non-spiritual act in the eyes of many.

In fact, as ironic as this may should the God of Abraham even commanded that people not do this!

Exodus 20:
[25] And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
[26] Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

Wiccans would suggest that we worship God outdoors in nature and if we build an altar we use natural stone and have no steps leading up to the altar.

It's funny how Wiccans are more in tune with this ancient doctrine than the Christians are.

No churches for me MorningSong!

I've always felt that it was an act of blaspheme to go to a church and walk up the steps of the altar to find a book on a pedestal that commands people not to do this very thing.

But I agree that we should discard all demoninations and worship the Moon Goddess in a field under the stary night sky.

Song and dance and celebration!

Drinking wine and making love in the name of our creator!

YES! This is the way that we should all worship God. I agree!

Naked in the moonlight underneath a canopy of stars!

The Church is NOT that building made of wood or

stone....where the True Believes meet to fellowship and worship in.

Nope....The building is just a place where

the THE TRUE CHURCH FELLOWSHIPS AND WORSHIPS TOETHER IN.

That's all.

See......The REAL CHURCH is the BODY OF BELIEVERS !!!


BELIEVERS are the TEMPLE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DWELLS IN NOW.

(Basic Christianity 101 ...)

statistics are very informative (sarcastic)

99% of criminals are bread-eaters. maybe bread is the cause of so many of the world's problems.

regarding this thread - I'm suddenly much, much more interested in Norway.

This brings me back to the question I asked a few months ago. Will religion denominations join together to keep their faith alive?

Many have answered on that thread that it won't happen.

Now as time goes by one sees that those religion fractions that are losing members are actually merging with others to keep their membership alive.

Eventually they will lose their numbers and people will have finally figured out that such religions belong in the mythology vault for historical purposes only.

How long will this take? Some say 50 years others say in a 100.

We shall see.

So, predominant amongst 32%... doesn't seem like much of an overwhelming majority.